Choosing the Right Wood for Your Summer House

Summer houses provide a tranquil space in which to unwind and socialise with family and friends. When purchasing one made from wood, there is an array of materials from which you can choose.

Your choice of wood for your summerhouse should depend on budget, aesthetic preferences and maintenance needs. Lugarde offers kiln dried Siberian larch, Douglas wood or spruce (with or without scaffolding wood look) treated with preservative to protect against the elements and extend its lifespan.

Spruce

Spruce wood makes an excellent material choice for summer houses as it darkens less over time, maintaining its bright and cheerful appearance for longer. Plus, it accepts surface treatments well so you can customize its finish to complement the aesthetics of both your garden or interior design scheme.

As with pine, spruce should also be treated to protect it against moisture and the risk of mould or wood rot; however, its denser and more uniform cellular structure makes spruce less susceptible to these issues, making it an excellent choice for log houses without eaves that expose walls more directly to moisture.

Northern spruce trees grow slowly due to cold climate conditions, producing dense and strong lumber with narrow growth rings – ideal for making log cabins. Furthermore, this wood contains less resin than pine species so that moisture isn’t absorbed so rapidly; thus preventing resin pockets that weaken logs over time and become unstable.

Scotts offers several foundation options, from concrete pads and oversize bolts, to our special ground screws designed specifically to secure summer houses on any terrain. For your new wooden summerhouse, Scotts can provide the right foundation!

To ensure the longevity of your summer house, it’s crucial that the wood has been treated with a timber preservative. This will protect it against moisture and fungus damage while keeping its condition optimal over time. Our foundation beams are made of pressure treated spruce for the maximum protection in our summer houses.

Spruce timber used for our foundation beams comes from forests in Northern Europe. To prevent water from seeping into your summer house and encouraging decay or mould growth, these beams are installed slightly inside its walls so as to not contact with soil directly. This way, it won’t run down into its timber foundation beams and cause further rot or mould growth.

Douglas Fir

Douglas Fir is one of the most versatile softwood species on the market today, boasting attractive coloration and grain patterns to complement its natural beauty, while offering superior strength-to-weight ratio and dimensional stability. These characteristics make Douglas Fir an attractive material choice for log and post and beam construction as well as summer house building applications where heavy structural integrity requirements exist; sometimes being considered an alternative choice over Pine or Spruce species.

The species can be found in various environments, from wet coastal forests and mountainous regions, to wet coastal forests and wet mountainous areas – making it highly adaptable. It can grow to either short, scraggly bonsai-like trees, or towering giants with conical crowns reaching several stories into the sky; its needles may be pointy like spruce or broad and flat like pine; either way they offer consistent shape and size and exude an aromatic citrus fragrance when crushed.

Douglas fir trees in dense forests self-prune their lower branches, meaning the trunk of old-growth trees begins many stories above ground and allows them to reach remarkable heights. Additionally, these species can withstand various environmental factors like strong winds and freezing temperatures without succumbing.

Douglas fir makes an ideal material for creating glulam beams, which are created by adhering layers of lumber together with glue to form strong, moisture-resistant beams. These versatile beams can protect exposed beams and rafters in summer houses from the elements for years.

Wood is easy to work with and requires little upkeep after installation, due to its natural resistance against rot and insect damage; thus saving both time and money during construction. Furthermore, this species’ natural durability provides it with protection from moisture intrusion from moisture, UV rays of the sun’s UV rays as well as mildew growth; Northern Log Supply often collaborates with clients by offering pre-stained and finished products which further cut costs and installation times for clients.

Siberian Larch

Siberian larch offers a striking natural look when used as either a facade material or accent element, creating an eye-catching combination between modern and traditional styles. As a resilient timber that’s capable of withstanding harsh weather and heavy snowfall, its resilience requires minimal upkeep or maintenance costs compared to glass and metal options. It makes an excellent cladding option for exposed structures thanks to its physical characteristics; making larch an attractive yet robust alternative.

Siberian Woodlands’ harsh conditions have given this species of tree the resilience and resilience it requires to thrive, making it exceptionally durable. A ‘frost-hardy’ tree, it can withstand freezing and adverse conditions in areas with limited growing seasons; reaching 20-50 metres with needle-like leaves and 1 meter trunk diameter. Due to this inhospitable environment, its wood has become dense and substantial – outperforming softwoods and hardwoods alike on Janka hardness scale rating 1,100 lbf for Janka hardness ratings 1,100lbf; so far outperforming both softwoods and hardwood options like Western red cedar or Western red cedar for durability cladding applications.

Larch wood stands out as an effective natural barrier against moisture and weathering, naturally resisting fungal and insect damage. Larch trees’ high resin content and extractives act as protective layers, protecting it from organisms which could otherwise cause warping or bowing in less resilient cladding types.

Protection against moisture also keeps wood from warping or bending with changes in humidity levels, a problem common for other forms of timber. Furthermore, its density makes it less vulnerable to moisture penetration allowing it to better withstand winter weather than alternative cladding materials.

Siberian larch’s natural antiseptic properties allow it to repel insects naturally and without resorting to chemical treatment which could impact its appearance – meaning you can relax in your summer house without fearing invasion from pests like aphids or termites that could invade and destroy it.

Similar to cedar, larch will develop a beautiful silvery grey hue when exposed to the elements; however, transparent oils like Owatrol Net-Trol can help maintain its original shade while increasing durability and moisture resistance. They make an excellent option for those seeking monochromatic looks for their cladding project, as well as being used alongside other coatings to protect surfaces from moisture-induced damages such as peeling.

Pine

Pine wood is an economical, simple material to work with and when treated appropriately can even support structural framing, making it the ideal material to construct cabins from. Pine logs are also known for their rustic charm that will stand the test of time. Pine forestry practices ensure it remains a fast-growing renewable resource that supports healthy forest ecosystems while its harvest is done under sustainable forestry practices and then replanted afterwards – adding another benefit of sustainability!

Pine trees come in various shapes, needle structures and color variations that make them adaptable enough to complement virtually any style of garden. Pines make an especially striking windbreak or accent tree choice; their stabilizing power helps stabilize sand dunes too! Adding ornamental value and food source for wildlife makes pine trees important components in landscape designs as well.

The term „pine” comes from Latin „pinus,” which translates to yearning or longing. These words aptly capture the spirit of trees that naturally tend to reach upward toward the sky and catch every breeze that blows. This is especially true of spruce and pine species known for their majestic splendor.

These characteristics make them perfect for use as summer houses, where they will provide relaxation or watchover of the garden. A well-designed summer house should also be insulated and lined to provide maximum comfort regardless of weather and prevent problems such as leaks, drafts or wood rot. Furthermore, investing in a rebated mortice lock may keep intruders away and protect its contents.

Summerhouses provide a warm, welcoming retreat that lasts for years and can be enjoyed by members of all ages, including grandparents. Maintenance should be carried out throughout the year: Spring: Clean gutters and check for insect activity; Summer: Touch up stains and sealants and examine insulation; Fall: Trim branches, remove leaves and inspect roofs; Winter: Check drafts/ice dams as well as heating systems – with proper care, your summer house will become an oasis where you’d rather spend your time all year long! With proper care, it will become your favourite hangout every season – make your time spent there truly rewarding.